Southern United gained sweet revenge on Auckland United in their National Women's League encounter at Keith Hay Park on November 13, coming from behind to win 4-1 after having been handed a 7-0 drubbing by the visitors when the teams clashed in Dunedin earlier in the campaign. There was little hint of what was to come for the home team in the early stages, with Auckland producing the first threat on goal in just the third minute of play. Jess Philpot launched a wind-assisted free-kick from halfway which picked out Bree Johnson, ghosting in behind the defence. She just failed to connect cleanly with the ball, steering it past the far post from close range. Six minutes later, Philpot lashed a rasping angled drive narrowly over the bar after Alosi Bloomfield had held the ball up well in the penalty area. The Samoan international then swooped on a stray pass and sent Manaia Elliott spearing through the inside right channel, only for Kelsey Kennard to close her down well. Southern first threatened on the quarter hour, with Toni Power's fine through ball sending Kennedy Bryant bearing down on goal. Rivalina Fuimaono - making a rare appearance twixt the sticks in the absence of United's injured goalkeepers - stood her ground well and made a fine one-on-one save at the striker's feet. At the other end of the park, Kate Hannay blocked well at the feet of Johnson in the 21st minute, after Bloomfield, Jenna Dodd and Penny Brill had combined neatly to engineer the opening. Southern counter-attacked immediately, Chelsea Whittaker and Sarah Morton - great to see her back on the park after a prolonged injury absence - combining on the left. The resulting cross picked out Jasmine Prince, whose miscued shot made life easy for Fuimaono, who was relieved to see Bryant thrash a shot narrowly over the bar two minutes later after Power, Prince and Sarah Morton had opened up the Auckland defence. Eleven minutes before half-time, the home team opened the scoring via an unlikely source. Philpot's free-kick from halfway was flicked on by a defender to Johnson, lurking beyond the defensive line. Hannay raced off her line to thwart the danger, and did well to block the striker's initial shot, with the rebound off the goalkeeper striking Johnson's hand, affording her an advantage she otherwise wouldn't have enjoyed. The striker made it count, via a helpful dose of luck. Her shot struck the post and rebounded into the goalmouth, into which the fast-retreating figure of Hannay was racing. Before she had a chance to stop herself, the ball struck the 'keeper on the shin and ricocheted over the line - 1-0 Auckland, but very unlucky for Southern, who gave referee Chris Trent a decent serve re his handling of the handball incident, for which the visitors had a very strong case. Within two minutes, the home team had gone close to doubling their lead. Ruby Nathan's corner was cleared to Johnson, who took on three opponents before being tackled. Bloomfield was on her team-mate's shoulder, however, and regained possession, allowing Johnson to resume her run before unleashing a shot just past the far post. Southern went straight down the other end and scored, only for the offside flag to curtail Bryant's 37th minute celebrations. They were in again six minutes later, however, Power's super pass releasing Prince down the right, from where she appeared to be in two minds as she let fly with a hybrid cross-shot - it lacked the accuracy to be regarded as a shot, but was too powerfully struck to be considered a cross! Either way, Fuimaono was relieved to see it fly across the face of goal, but she was helpless to prevent Southern from levelling the scores on the stroke of half-time. Kennard picked out Bryant, who sent Whittaker roaming down the left once more. Her low cross found Bryant arriving on cue as she raced into the inside-right channel, from where she unleashed an unerring first-time drive across Fuimaono and into the far corner of the net. Auckland surged downfield straight from the kick-off, and should have been awarded a penalty in the seconds before interval, Elliott having been taken out by Hannay in the goalkeeper's eagerness to make amends for a poor clearance which presented the Young Ferns captain with possession on the edge of the area. Instead, Mr Trent took the easy way out, blowing for half-time to avoid making another call which would likely invite controversy … To describe the first 25 minutes of the second half as action-packed is quite an understatement! There was so much going on in such a short space of time that even ye olde photographic memory was having trouble keeping pace - and that's not something that happens too often! Sarah Morton got the ball rolling with a buccaneering run through the middle past four opponents before thrashing a shot narrowly over the bar. The resulting goal-kick was pounced on by Bryant, who, via Morton, played Whittaker in on the left. Fuimaono parried her shot to safety.

Next, Prince powered past Emma Leaming on the right and drilled in a cross which Whittaker was poised to head home, only for Philpot to time her leap to perfection and head the sphere to safety. Despite what the scoreline would suggest, Auckland's captain had a terrific game - frankly, she played a large part in ensuring Southern only scored four goals. Auckland countered in the 49th minute, Dodd sending Elliott dashing through the inside right channel. Her low cross to the near post sought out Nathan, but Hannah Mackay-Wright stepped in to clear the danger, albeit briefly, because seconds later, Johnson was rampaging down the left, from where she steered a low cross-shot narrowly past the near post. Back came Southern in the 51st minute, the Morton sisters - Rose was her usual robust self in the midfield anchor role - combining with Bryant and Whittaker to create an opportunity which resulted in both Bryant and Prince being superbly denied by Fuimaono - a tremendous double-save from a player who, while clearly short of match fitness, hasn't lost her natural goalkeeping instincts. Fuimaono sent the ball downfield, and a foul in the inside right channel presented Auckland with a great chance to take the lead again. Philpot fired in a gem of a free-kick to the far post which picked out the head of Johnson. Her header cannoned off the fast-approaching Hannay and rebounded off the striker narrowly past the gaping goal - it could just as easily have gone in off! Following a brief pause, it was full throttle action again in the 56th minute, Johnson beating Abby Rankin on halfway before releasing Nathan down the left. She got the better of the retreating figure of Kennard, but Rankin, racing back in cover, ensured the dual age-grade international's progress ended earlier than Nathan would have liked. Inside the next three minutes, Bryant scored twice to complete her hat-trick and put Southern firmly in the driving seat. The first goal, in the 58th minute, was the result of Sarah Morton sending Prince down the right at pace once more, from where she whipped a low cross into the goalmouth. Bryant, arriving on cue, steered the ball high into the net from close range, and was still silently celebrating that strike when the ball broke to her some twenty-five yards from goal. An unerring strike flew past Fuimaono - 3-1, with a special goal celebration to mark her first hat-trick in Southern colours. Auckland responded via Dodd and Philpot, the latter picking out Nathan, who brought substitute Issy Gerrand into play. From an acute angle, she drew a near post save from Hannay, who looked on with relief soon afterwards as Nathan sent a twenty-five yarder crashing against the bar before Gerrand let rip with a curling effort which arced narrowly past the far post. In the midst of all this, Prince was gifted possession by Georgia Martin, who had a game she would prefer to forget - she certainly won't be alone in this regard where those wearing black are concerned! Fuimaono spared her defender's blushes with another solid save, but was powerless to prevent Southern from sealing their victory in the 68th minute. Whittaker was picked out by a measured cross-field ball which she lifted over the goalkeeper to make it 4-1 to the visitors. Philpott twice denied them from adding to that tally with goal-line clearances. In the 69th minute, Prince shot through the legs of Fuimaono at her near post, only for the skipper to appear from nowhere to clear the sphere to safety. Fourteen minutes later, Prince's replacement, Margi Dias, closed down Fuimaono and prevented the 'keeper from clearing her lines. The substitute swooped on the loose ball near the by-line and pulled it back for Bryant to steer home a fourth goal, only for Philpot to once more deny the visitors with a goal-line clearance, this time at the expense of a corner. This wasn't cleared, allowing Power the chance to rifle a twelve-yard drive through the crowded goalmouth and narrowly past the far post six minutes from time. It proved to be Southern's last attack of note, but Auckland's bid for a consolation goal saw substitute Emmelin Bowala closed down by Kennard as she hesitated to pull the trigger in response to the attacking industry of Nathan and Gerrand. The final whistle was greeted with undisguised delight by Southern, and rightly so - when you win 4-1 away, having been thrashed 7-0 at home by the same opponents just weeks earlier, you've every reason to be proud of the achievement. It lifts last season's South Central Series champions back into fourth place on the table - the best of the rest in a season which is being dominated by the three Auckland clubs still in Grand Final contention. Auckland:     Fuimaono; Philpot, Bradley (Gerrand, 55), Martin (Fulton, 66), Leaming; Dodd, Bloomfield (Vince, 49), Brill; Elliott (McMurray, 66), Nathan, Johnson (Bowala, 66) Southern:     Hannay; Power, Mackay-Wright, Kennard, Woolley; Rankin (Morison, 66), R. Morton, S. Morton; Prince (Dias, 74), Bryant, Whittaker (Wilson, 81) Referee:     Chris Trent